Fresh fuel for research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $6 million to the University of Delaware for developing new therapeutic leads and strengthening core facility infrastructure focused on finding new molecules for the treatment of disease.

Led by Joe Fox, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, the fresh funding will enable continued and sustained work at the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Discovery of Chemical Probes and Therapeutic Leads, which is funded by the NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

The overall goal of a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, or COBRE, is to identify and build up infrastructure within an institution around a scientific area - this includes both people and equipment. There is a large focus on recruiting and retaining research faculty and students who are in the early stages of their careers.

"Our center is focused on chemical probes and therapeutics. So, we're using molecules, using well-defined chemical entities to probe, understand and control biological systems," Fox said. "Ultimately, we want to use that information to generate molecules that can be used to have a therapeutic effect."

The funding provides "rocket fuel" for assistant faculty or researchers without prior NIH awards to become successful on a faster timeframe, Fox continued. Since 2015, the center has funded 31 early career researchers across several departments, including chemistry and biochemistry, biological sciences, engineering, materials science and engineering, physics and astronomy. Most of these researchers have stayed at UD, which is positive for faculty retention.

Research by junior faculty affiliated with the center has produced a variety of discoveries, including a new method for creating a liver cancer-fighting molecule, advanced understanding on how inhalable medications behave in the body, molecular pathways that could lead to new treatments for tuberculosis, and innovative techniques for making proteins more visible and memorable to the immune system, which has the potential to aid in vaccine development.

Catherine Fromen, Centennial Associate Professor for Excellence in Research and Education in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, called her initial COBRE funding "transformative and essential" to her career as a junior faculty member getting started in biomedical research.